[Choice of surgical strategy for colorectal liver metastases depending on clinical and pathological response to neoadjuvant chemo- and targeted therapy].

UNLABELLED

Surgical strategy of colorectal liver metastases depends on clinical and pathological response to neoadjuvant chemo- and target therapy. Recently, surgical treatment of advanced colorectal cancer appears as an everyday challenge for surgeons and oncologists. The new oncologic procedures invented last years led to significant therapeutic improvement. Combination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with biological answer modifiers increased greatly the clinical response rate given to cytoreductive therapy. Due to these facts the complete disappearance of liver metastases can be observed more and more frequently after 2000. Literature of metastasis surgery clarified the exact difference between clinical and pathological response, at the same time exact criteria of the connections between two responses have been set. In complex treatment of colorectal liver metastases complete pathological response became the end point of treatment.

AIMS AND METHODS

Between January, 2009 and August, 2010, 39 patients with originally non resectable liver metastases (colorectal cancer origin) have been studied. All patients were treated by neoadjuvant chemo- and targeted therapy before the resection of liver.

RESULTS

Complete pathological response has been observed in 3 patients, major pathological response (necrosis: >50%) in 11 patients, minor pathological answer (necrosis <50%) in 22 patients and finally no necrosis at all in 3 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Complete pathological response can be regarded as the final goal of neoadjuvant targeted therapy. Pathological response seems to be the most important prognostic factor which reflects long-term survival after the R0 resection of liver metastases. Complete disappearance of liver metastases is an undesirable side effect of oncological therapy, which causes difficulties during surgical intervention. In this term the overtreatment of patients resulting in a disappearance of metastases should be avoided. Multidisciplinary team is responsible for the indication of resection of liver metastases in time before their disappearance.